Panthers' Jon Beason Named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October

Carolina Panthers middle linebacker Jon Beason has been named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October.

During October, Beason racked up 32 tackles, including 13 against the Tampa Bay Bucs. He also deflected two passes and picked two others off.

The 23-year-old ranks seventh in the NFL in tackles. He's only eight behind the league leader, Jonathan Vilma of the New Orleans Saints. Last year as a rookie, Beason finished third in the NFL in tackles, with 140.

Beason leads the league's ninth-best defense, a unit that averaged 8.25 points allowed per game in October and held the Saints to seven points.

The fact that Beason won this award attests to Beason's consistently outstanding performance for the Panthers.